Square.



muren sfrajrns PATENT FFICE.

SQUARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907'.

Application filed September 20, 1906. Serial No. 335,393.

To LZZ whom t 11m/y concern:

Be it known that I, LONELL VERNER SHEP- HERD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles andState of California, have invented a new and Improved Square, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to drafting instruments g and its object is toprovide a new and improved square for the use of carpenters, machinists,and other mechanics and arranged for convenient detachment of themembers to permit the mechanic to readily carry the square in thetool-chest, and to allow of quick and accurate assembling1 of themembers whenever it is desired to use the square for its legitimatepurpose.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and thenpointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thedetached member of the square. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of theimprovement, parts being in section. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the same.Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the improvement on theline 5 5 of Fig. l, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged face view of the lockingcam or lever.

The legs or members A and B of the square are separably connected witheach other, and for this purpose the member A is provided at one endwith a socket or recess A for the reception of a tongue B, formed at andprojecting from one end of the other member B. N ow in order to securelylock the tongue B in position in the socket A and to hold the member Baccurately in the right-angled po sition relative to the member A thefollowing arrangement is made: Within the socket A is contained alocking cam or lever C, mounted to swing on a clamping-screw D,extending transversely through the front plate of the socket A andscrewing into the rear plate thereof, as plainly shown in Fig. 5, sothat on screwing up the clamping-screw D the front and rear plates ofthe socket A are drawn toward each other to clamp the locking-cam C inwhatever position it is in at the time. When the clamping-screw D isslightly unscrewed and the front and rear plates of the socket A arereleased, then the locking cam or lever C is free to swing on the screwD as its fulcrum and its cam edge C is adapted to engage or disengagethe cam edge B2 of the wall of a slot B3, formed lengthwise in thetongue B from the outer end thereof inward, as plainly shown in Figs. 2and 3, so that when the tongue B engagesv the socket A then the screw Das well as the lockingcam C extend freely in the slot B3, and thelocking-cam C can be readily swung in and out of engagement with the camedge B2. On swinging the locking cam C into an uppermost position thetongue B can be readily engaged and disengaged with the socket A, andwhen the tongue B is engaged with the socket A and the operator swingsthe locking-cam C downward then the cam edge C. in moving intoengagement with the cam edge B2 causes a firm drawing of the tongue Binto position in the socket A, at the same time locking the tongue Bagainst movement in the socket A. When this has been done, the operatorsimply screws up the screw D to clamp the lockingcam C into place withinthe socket A, as previously explained. When it is desired to disconnectthe member B from the member A, it is only necessary to slightly unscrewthe screw D and to then swing the locking-cam C upward until the camedge C has disengaged the cam edge B2, after which a pull exerted on themember B disengages the tongue B from the socket A. In order to permitof conveniently swinging the locking-cam C up or down, the front facethereof is provided with recesses or apertures C2 C3, adapted to beengaged by a suitable tool inserted through a segmental slot A2, formedin the front plate of the socket A, as plainly indicated in Figs. l, 3,and 5. For swinging the lockingcam C upward use is made of the uppermostrecess C2, and for swinging the locking-cam downward the operatorinserts the tool in the recess C3. The member B forms at the beginningof the tongue B and on opposite faces shoulders B4 for engagement withthe front edge of the socket A to hold the members A and B in aright-angled position when assembled and locked in place as abovedescribed and shown in Figs. l and 8. A V- shaped lug B5 is also formedon each shoulder B4 and is adapted to engage a corresponding recess A3,formed in the front edge of the socket A to aid in holding the member Bin IOO an accurate right-angled position relative to the member A.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a mechanic or other person canreadily disconnect the members A and B, so as to allow of convenientlycarrying the square in a toolchest or the like, and the mechanic can conveniently and accurately assemble the members to permit oi making use ofthe square for its legitimate purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim es new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- l. A square having detachable members, one of whichis provided with a socket and the other with a tongue fitting into thesocket, the tongue having a slot, a lockingcam within said socket andengaging the wall of the said slot to lock the tongue against movementin the socket, and a clampingscrew engaging the 'liront and rear platesof the said socket and extending through the said tongue-slot, the saidscrew forming the Fulcrum for the said locking-cam to swing on and alsoserving to dra the plates of the socket toward each other to clamp thelocking-cam in position,

2. A square having detachable members,` one of which is provided with asocket and the other with tongue fitting into the socket, the tonguehaving 'a slot formed lengthwise therein and extending from the outerVend inward, and a locking-cam Within the said socket and mounted toswing,l the said cam engaging the wall of the said slot to lock thetongue against movement inthe socket, the liront face of the cam bei-ngprovided. with recesses adapted to be engaged by a tool to move the cam,and the 'front plate of the said socket having a segmental slot Aformedtherein and through which the tool may be inserted to engage saidrecesses in the cam.

In testimony whereoi` I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

VLONELL VERNER SHEPHERD.

Vwlitnesses i VILLIAM H. MURDocH, OBEN N` RANEY.

